Protective Instincts
by Gothic-Romantic99
Summary: Those two idiotic demons never realized that by injuring the younger brother of a vicious shinigami they signed their own death warrants.
1. Carnage

I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

Hi, everyone. I usually write Grell romances, but I decided to try something new surrounding his vicious side. I hope you all enjoy the story.

Warning: Later chapters will contain graphic, bloody violence. The rating will end up changing to M within the next two chapters, so if you like this story you may want to add it to your alerts.

Edit 10/27/12: I noticed several inconsistencies within this story, so I went to fix them. Upon doing so I changed a few things. For the most part the plot is still the same, just a few details and events have been changed a bit. Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/favorited the original draft.

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><p>The usually level-headed shinigami gaped at the carnage before him. He knew the brutality his subordinate was capable of, for he was the one who supported Sutcliff during his Jack the Ripper trial a year prior, but this was a new extreme.<p>

What used to be the bodies of those despicable creatures were mangled and dismembered beyond recognition. Their true identities would never be claimed from the remains marinated in their own blood. For once William T. Spears, one who despised all demons, felt sorry for the two lower creatures.

The two other members of Will's department accompanied him to the crime scene of their own free will. It was a move that both immediately regretted for Eric was currently consoling Alan who had just vomited for the third time since setting eyes upon the aftermath. Murder was too calm a word to classify that massacre.

Several higher ups, including those on the investigation team, had arrived on the scene. The investigators closely inspected what remained of the bodies in hopes of finding any clues to lead them to the recent happenings.

The shinigami usually allowed demon deaths to go for they often interfered with reaping missions leaving the reapers with the sole option to kill in self-defense. However, the wounds on these creatures screamed overkill. The last thing they wanted was political disdain between the shinigami and demons. Unless the criminal responsible was properly punished then a supernatural war might come to pass. The one to blame for the slaughter was the one who proudly wore that blood color.

The mentioned grim reaper stood over to the side, soaked in blood, only a tiny subset having been shed from his own skin. The blood had soaked into the cloth to the point that it was difficult to determine which was the original color of his attire and what formally belonged to the demons. By the end of the Jack the Ripper case it was obvious that Grell Sutcliff had began to feel sorrow for what he did, but now that scowl plastered on his porcelain face proved the red reaper felt no remorse for his recent actions.

Shuddering beside the blood-drenched reaper was a smaller one in both size and age. Splatters of blood decorated Ronald's clothing. Large black and purple splotches covered the left side of his face and he nursed what appeared to be a sprained wrist. He sat with his knees under his chin, dumbfounded, and refusing to look at the other shinigami. That detail disturbed William more than the murders as Ronald was the only one he knew who willfully admired Grell.

The head of the investigation squad approached Spears.

"Sir," he said with a half salute. "We will need to take both Sutcliff and Knox in for questioning."

"How bad does it look?" William asked in his usually cool manner.

The investigator gave him a half smile. "The good news is that if Sutcliff is smart, and since these are demons, we can possible dismiss this as a case of self-defense." The pause clued William in to the unmentioned "but."

"But?" William asked.

"But," the detective said, pausing, hoping to delay as long as possible. The impatient tapping of William's scythe hurried his speech. He had heard from eyewitnesses that William had a tendency of whacking shinigami over the head with that pole and was not eager to find any merit to those rumors himself. "But from the look of the bodies, it might be harder to convince the judge that these murders were not in cold blood."

William sighed. "Very well," he said. "But I want to be there during the questioning."

The other reaper agreed. "It might calm Knox if a familiar face was present," he reasoned.

At the mention of the younger shinigami's name both sets of eyes drifted over to where a medical examiner sat crouched down in front of the blond. He spoke in a calm voice, but Ronald looked straight through him, as if he were invisible. The EMT ceased speaking and continued to check Knox.

As his hand approached Ronald's bruised face the latter whimpered and recoiled into himself, wincing at the immediate protest from his ribs. Grell snarled at the sound and pounced, grasping the EMT by the throat. The glower from his narrowed yellow-green eyes filled the other with fear. Grell extended his fingers, ready to summon his scythe.

William, along with several others, surrounded the two, various weapons pointed at the infamous shinigami. They called out his name countless times. By the thirtieth time, along with threats, did Grell realize what he was doing. His eyes widened and he released his hold on the innocent man. The EMT's hands gently massaged the pain out of his neck, inhaling sharply. He glanced up at the shaking reaper who recently seized him by the throat.

"Forgive me," Grell whispered loud enough for only the one it was meant for to hear. He turned his head in the direction of Ronald to see him with his eyes tightly shut, shuddering, and fighting to keep himself from breaking down again.

"Sutcliff," a voice said from behind him. Grell glanced over his shoulder to see the detective approaching. "I—it's time t—to go," he stammered. Before Grell could register what was happening he heard the familiar sound of the shackles clamping about his wrist.

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><p>William Spears and Detective Norton stood outside the interrogation room watching the redhead shinigami from the two-way mirror. He had yet to show any sign of remorse. William wished with every fiber of his being that his worst fears of Grell's murderous tendencies had not returned. After the long hours of rehab he endured after the Jack the Ripper trial (as part of the sentence) William hoped that kind of brutality would never return.<p>

Ronald had been transported to the hospital to treated for his various injuries. Physically he suffered two cracked ribs, a broken wrist, a busted lip, and a few bruises to the face and abdomen. Still it was the mental trauma that the physician most feared that would permanantly wound Knox. Both William and Norton were anxious to hear what happened regarding Ronald, but for now they could only hope that Grell was willing to cooperate.

Norton cracked his neck then reached for the doorknob. William placed a gloved hand on the investigator's shoulder, halting him in his tracks.

"As a warning," William began. "Sutcliff can become violent when enraged."

"Thanks," Norton said recalling what happened not forty minutes ago. He quickly checked his pocket for the tranquilizer pistol just in case it was needed. He turned the knob and entered with William in tow.

Grell greeted the visitors with a scowl. William let out a calm sigh that no one caught. It relieved him to see that familiar smile on his employee. What defined Grell was not entirely gone.

"Sutcliff," Norton said taking his seat in front of the shinigami in questioning. Grell nodded, not removing his gaze from his perfect nails. "I have a few questions for you concerning the crime scene."

"Ask whatever you wish, I have nothing to hide," Grell stated without making eye contact.

Grell was acting as rebellious to authority as always, another sign that he was not a total psychopath. William chose to stand beside Norton just in case Grell's temper escalated and he needed to intervene. He knew Grell was aware of that thin line that he must not cross, but after what they just witnessed, he hoped that was rang true.

"So are you admitting to killing those demons?" Norton asked.

"Is that what you left me in here all alone for?" Grell asked angrily.

"Just answer the question, Sutcliff," William commanded.

Grell's yellow-green eyes landed on his boss. Usually when he looked upon William his heart was bursting with lust, yet retained respect for the older man, now he showed him as much contempt as the detective.

"Will, dear, I thought of all people you would be most supportive," Grell said.

William sighed. It was going to be a long night. "While it's true I see nothing wrong with defending oneself against demons, I don't approve of attacking out of cold blood." _It's too risky_, he added silently in his head.

"And what would you know of that?" he asked. If Grell's eyes were flamethrowers they would be burning a hole into William's face from his fierce stare. Grell scoffed then added, "You think this is just like Jack the Ripper?"

"Is it?" Norton asked.

Grell glared at Norton, but said nothing.

"Sutcliff," Norton said in a demeaning voice that earned him yet another of Grell's famous death glares. It was true he was the scariest of all the shinigami he had ever encountered. Norton swallowed then added, "We can't help you if you don't tell us what happened."

"You don't want to help me," Grell retorted. "You just want to protect your precious dispatch from any more bad publicity on my behalf." He clenched his fist as the memories of the night's events replayed behind his eyes. "If you had seen Ronnie then you…" Grell trailed off when he realized he let more slip than he wanted to. The look in his eyes was so vicious, yet so sincere at the same time. It scared and lured both men to Grell's testimony.

"Knox?" William asked, genuinely interested. "What has Knox to do with this?" Even though he asked he was somewhat afraid to know the answer.

"It—it doesn't matter," Grell replied. He inhaled deeply and allowed the calmness to reside over him once more.

"Sutcliff," William said in a soft voice. Grell made the mistake of meeting William's eyes with his own. "Please." He paused then added, "Please tell me this isn't like last time."

Grell's eyes momentarily darted away from Spears'.

"What's the most important rule of the dispatch?" Grell asked William.

The dark-haired shinigami was about to ask what that had to do with the present matter when he recalled the rule. The look on Grell's face told William that he was waiting for the answer.

"Always look out for your partner," Norton answered. His eyes widened and he gasped. "Wait, did something happen with Knox?"

The brief switch to sorrow on Grell's face clued the two in that the detective guessed correctly.

"Sutcliff, what happened?" William asked. The once annoyed tone had switched to a mix of curiosity and concern.

Both higher ranked shinigami waited to hear Grell's tale of that night's events. And while both were used to the sight and mention of blood in their everyday work, this was going to be one that would haunt the dreams of both for some time.

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><p>That ends the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed. If you like it, or if you have any criticisms, please leave it in the form of a review. The next chapter will be arriving soon.<p>

End Note: I'm not sure how medical emergencies were handled during the Victorian era, but since this is the reaper dispatch that have advanced technology for that time, I think it's believable that they would have an emergency response team similar to medical units of today.

Until next time!


	2. Separation

If I owned Kuroshitsuji there would have been LOTS more Grell, but alas I don't.

Warning: There is a minor graphic description in this chapter, but nothing too bad yet. The next chapter will have a lot of graphic violence and the rating will be upped to M. Therefore if you like this story you might want to add it to your alerts (stories rated M don't automatically show up in the search).

There is slight William/Grell, but they're not the focus of this story.

Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter. A special thanks to: Flower-Child14, Winterlove4, Fleya, Sebassy-Chan, Poison1234, Why, Bra, Artfan, and RonaldFaustus for your reviews. Thank you, everyone, I really appreciate all your kind reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter too!

The flashbacks are in italics.

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><p>The two older shinigami exchanged glances then resumed their gazes upon the one sitting before them. He had removed the bloodstained coat, but large splatters of red still covered his shirt.<p>

The scent of human blood rarely bothered reapers as they came to associate it with work, much like those in an office setting were accustomed to the smells of paper and ink. However the stench of the blood of a supernatural creature was a different story.

"Sutcliff," William said in his usual calm, yet authoritative voice. "Will you please tell us what happened with Knox?"

Grell shifted uncomfortably. For a split second both shinigami could have sworn they saw a smidge of pity in his eyes before that sick grin reappeared.

"There's no need to involve Ronnie in this, William, darling," Grell said while dismissively waving his hand. William's face showed annoyance at Grell's usual method of adding endearments at the end of his name. Grell placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "Maybe you're more interested in hearing how I ripped those piles of refuse to shreds? Hmm?" he asked in a voice that would lure the curious innocent to their demise.

"So you do admit to killing them?" Norton asked with his pen ready. *

"I thought that was pretty obvious," Grell said without care as he ran a hand through his long tresses. With Grell's head turned in profile with that shark grin, William recalled how Grell looked not two hours prior with splotches of crimson covering his face in the moonlight.

"Why did you kill them?" Norton asked.

Grell shrugged the question off. Instead he focused on the details of the story. "The ugly one with the three horns and that awful combination of light and dark orange," he began. Norton stared with wide eyes while Grell continued his narration. "His speed was no match for mine. I ducked under his massive arms and slashed upwards into his abdomen. The flesh left on that obviously artificially enhanced lower ab dangled like a loose nail that's too painful to pull. I slashed again, lower, intentionally lacerating the intestines. I knew with one more cut I could disembowel—"

"Sutcliff!" William yelled. The other two stared at William who held a hand to his head. He was reminded why each moment he spent with Grell often ended with a headache. "You are on possible trial for murder. The second time in a two year period. Can you please answer the questions?"

Grell sank. "I am answering the questions," he answered. "I'm saving you time trying to piece together what happened."

"You were asked _why_ you killed them not the gruesome details of how," Norton reminded the man in questioning.

Grell sighed. All hostility had vanished from Grell's face. "Is that really important?"

Were Norton's feet not firmly planted on the tiles he would have fallen back in his chair. "You do realize what the punishment might be if you're found guilty of cold-blooded murder?" Norton asked, his voice lightly shaking.

The look in Grell's eyes told his superior that he knew what could possibly happen to him. However that fierce glare that remained in the front of his eyes showed that there was something else that was of greater importance.

"Detective Norton," William said to the other shinigami. The mentioned glanced up at the standing reaper. He adjusted the black-rimmed glasses and asked in a calm voice, "May I have a few moments alone with Sutcliff?"

Norton twisted his lips. He knew the importance of being present during the interrogation. However the red-haired shinigami showed no sign of relenting useful information regarding his motive anytime soon. Seeing as how Spears was closest to Grell he could possibly get a confession out of him.

"Take as much time as you need," Norton said as he stood. The legs of the chair creaked along the tiled floor causing the other two to wince at the shrill noise. Norton leaned in and whispered in a voice only loud enough for William to hear. "I'll be listening in on the other side."

William nodded in agreement. He watched as the detective disappeared beyond the door. The windows were tinted so that the individual under surveillance and questioning could not see out, but those on the other side could see in.

William turned to face Grell who was staring absently at the table before him. There were no signs of his usual grandeur or vanity. What concerned Spears more was the fact that when he and Grell were often left alone the latter clung himself to William's side and flirted nonstop. By the vacant stare in Grell's yellow-green eyes, there was obviously something else on his mind.

"Sutcliff," William said catching Grell's attention. William abandoned his usual cold manner and leaned forward against the table so that he was making direct eye contact with his subordinate. "Norton has left, it's only the two of us."

"Are you trying to seduce me?" Grell asked. He darkly chuckled then added, "All the times I've come onto you and you've rejected me. But now that I'm in here…does this turn you on?" Grell asked, his nail tapping the tabletop. "You like the bad girls?"

William fought the urge to shout at Grell. If he wanted the younger shinigami to cooperate he needed to keep calm. He slowly descended in the chair Norton previously occupied. He folded his hands on the desk all while keeping his eyes on Grell.

"Sutcliff," William addressed the other. While he often tried to keep himself from showing any emotion towards those who worked under him, there was a hint of concern in his voice. "I ask you to reconsider what you're doing."

"Are you worried about me?" Grell asked.

William was unsure if that question was asked in sincerity or mockery. It was sometimes as hard to read Grell's emotions as it was for others to read his. When Grell wanted to keep something hidden it would take every tool in the box to pry him open.

"Please, for once, listen to what I'm saying," William tried again. "You were already on trial a year ago. The judge is going to have that in the back of his head while listening to this case if you don't have a good reason for killing those demons."

"Why does my past matter?" Grell asked in an annoyed voice. "I'm not like that anymore."

"Because it does matter, Grell!" William snapped. "Please stop being so stubborn and just tell me why you did it!"

Grell's eyes widened. His boss never referred to him by his first name unless it was of the upmost importance. He sighed and glanced down at his lap.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Grell conceded while looking down. He glanced up with sorrow covering his face. "But you can't tell anyone else." Grell could see the forming question in William's eyes and silenced him before he had a chance to voice it. "I don't care if I go to jail for eternity, or even if I'm put to death."

That statement alone was enough to fuel William's curiosity. However, Grell refused to say a word until William agreed to his terms.

"Very well, you win," William stated. The two shook on it. When their hands collided William could feel that Grell was slightly trembling.

Grell brought his hands together with his elbows resting on the table. He found it difficult to look at William while confessing his testimony.

"As you know me and Ronnie were on a reaping mission," Grell stated. In his peripheral vision Grell witnessed William nod at the statement. "Everything went fine at first."

_Grell glanced down at the paperwork to confirm that the woman standing on the corner fifteen feet from them was the same in their file. Both shinigami watched her calling out to potential clients. She turned her head to cough into the bloodstained linen cloth in her hand._

"_It's kinda sad no one will remember her enough to come to her funeral," Ronald stated._

_Grell shrugged. "It's hard to believe one as ugly as her attracted any customers," Grell replied. He recalled all the prostitutes he painted up during his days as Jack the Ripper. All of them were genuinely beautiful that he could easily enhance._

"_Well maybe she's good at her job," Ronald said with a laugh while making lewd gestures with his body._

_Grell laughed along with Ronald's comment. While he enjoyed reaping missions with William, there was no replacing Ronald's humor. _

_The first time he met Ronald Knox was when the latter arrived at the academy. Grell was assigned to Ronald as a tutor and advisor (as punishment for Grell's sexual harassment of Alan in the office). Grell moaned and groaned at first for being assigned to help the new kids, but when he met his apprentice they immediately clicked._

_Grell even went so far to vouch for Ronald when William sought a replacement for an opening in his office when the previous reaper was killed in an accident involving a rogue angel. William was hesitant to accept someone Grell recommended at first, but seeing Ronald in action, combined with his impressive academic scores, William was willing to give the new kid a chance. While Ronald had his quirks, much like Grell, he was a reaper worth his keep._

_Thirty years later and the two were the closest to best friends as reapers could be. Grell actually looked forward to missions in which Ronald was his partner. While occasionally William regretted teaming up two oddballs, he had to admit their productivity was best when they worked together._

_Grell was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of hacking. Both pairs of eyes landed on the woman destined to die. A wad of blood flowed down her chin, staining her weathered, yellow gown._

_She die fell to the ground giving Grell his cue to begin the judgment. His precious chainsaw ripped into her chest, revealing her cinematic record. Ronald stood beside Grell with the lawnmower in his grasp. The human's soul was gathered and sent to William who would then have her transferred to her proper afterlife destination. _

_Two men walked past the corpse, not even providing her with a glance. Grell turned from the bloody mess of a woman and put away his scythe in exchange for the manila folder he kept tucked inside his jacket._

"_Who's next on the agenda?" Ronald asked._

_Grell opened the next file and frowned._

"_Something wrong, Miss Grell?" Ronald asked._

_Grell slapped the file against Ronald's chest and smiled. "Nothing, we just have a double reaping," he said sadly._

_Ronald opened the folder and discovered the reason for Grell's sudden sorrow. Two children: one five and one six were to die of influenza in twenty minutes. Through his thirty years of working closely with Grell, Ronald discovered that it always bothered the older shinigami when he had to reap the souls of young children. Grell occasionally told Ronald how he desired to be a mother, but unfortunately being a grim reaper interfered with that dream._

"_Hey, Miss Grell!" Ronald exclaimed as he glanced over the document following the children. _

_The redhead turned to face the younger shinigami that he had come to consider a brother. _

_Ronald continued, "This man is supposed to die two minutes after these kids…" he trailed off and handed Grell the file with a smile. "How about I take care of the double myself and you handle him."_

_Grell smiled at the blonde. "That's kind of you, Ronnie, but I don't think that's a good idea," he countered._

"_Come on, it'll save us some time," Ronald argued._

"_I really think I should accompany you," Grell retorted._

"_I'm not giving you a choice, I don't want to be out here all night," Ronald said with a laugh. _

_As always Ronald tried playing it off with selfish reasons, but Grell could see right through that. He could tell Ronald was only trying to spare his feelings._

_Grell consented. At times like that he regretted telling the younger man his views on reaping children. Ronald was too kind for his own good sometimes. _

_The two approached their destination. From outside the drafty house Grell could hear the sound of one of the children coughing. It broke his heart, but reapers were supposed to be objective during their work. Ronald was such a good friend to him._

"_I'll take care of this one," Ronald said with a grin, clutching his scythe._

_The red reaper bit his bottom lip. "I really don't think that's a good idea," he countered with a quick shake of his head._

"_Stop worrying, I can handle this," Ronald retorted. "I need a chance to show my skills, you've said so yourself."_

_Grell recalled the numerous times he spoke to William about allowing Ronald a chance to show his true worth as a reaper (an idea Spears was most opposed to). All those times Grell thought Ronald was out of earshot, but it appeared to be the opposite._

_That smug grin that the smaller reaper wore was Ronald's way of thanking Grell for taking a leap for him, as Ronald was much too timid to approach William with the proposal himself._

_The almost cued coughing provided the red reaper with the final factor in his decision. "Alright," Grell said much against his gut warning. Before leaving he left his friend with a caution_, "_Be_ _careful." His tone became grave._ "_If you feel any presence, get out of there immediately."_

_Ronald gave Grell his own signature hand signal which made him feel like a doofus, but it made Grell proud to know he encouraged him to do so._

_Grell's stomach twisted when he walked away from Ronald. The most important rule when it came to the dispatch was to always look after one's partner. They were both well aware of how demons preferred the souls of children and how dangerous it was for a reaper with little defense training such as Ronald to be facing that risk alone. However, Ronald was not going to allow Grell to win that one and Grell was partially relieved not to have to steal a child's soul. _

_Besides, he was only going to be a few yards away. Grell told himself, if only to calm his nerves, that nothing would happen in three minutes time. If only he knew how dead wrong he was._

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><p>Thus ends chapter two. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please send any comments, compliments, andor criticisms in the form of a review.

*I don't know when ball-point pens were invented, but seeing as how the reapers have high-tech equipment for death scythes, I think it's possible to believe they'd have pens before humans did.

Until next time!


	3. Snapped

Grell, Ronald, and William are still only supporting characters, so by that logic I still do not own Kuroshitsuji. Sadness. :( But I am allowed to write Kuroshitsuji fanfiction! :) That's something!

WARNING: This chapter contains extreme GRAPHIC violence, lots of blood, and even some sexually suggestive material. If you are offended by any of that, have hematophobia, or are squeamish, you might not want to read any further.

Fleya: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter and hope you like this one just as much. Yeah, I agree with you about the anachronisms in the Kuroshitsuji world. Therefore the reapers, at least, having pens are quite possible in that world.

Artfan: Thanks for your review! I hope you like this chapter too!

Poison1234: Thanks for reviewing. There will be more angst and reason to worry in this chapter.

Red Cookies: Thank you for your review. You are about to find out Grell's POV on what happened during the mission. It's very brutal though, as a fair warning. Ronald will definitely be traumatized after what happened in this chapter. Poor Ronnie. You might really be voting for Grell a lot in this chapter and the next.

Sebassy-Chan: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and thanks for your comments on the errors. The information on the pens is quite interesting. Thanks for telling me. :)

Seriously, you, my reviewers, give me everything I need to keep writing. Thanks for the support, everyone!

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><p>Grell paused to catch his bearings. Living through the incident was painful enough, but having to relive this story a second, and possibly third and fourth time if he went to trial was unbearable. He tried his best to keep his feelings masked.<p>

William had listened intently, careful not to interrupt the other reaper various times throughout his tale. The fact that Grell was finally cooperating in telling him the story was a first step. If the narration could prove Grell's innocence, and if Ronald's version was nearly identical, it could likely prevent Grell from being put to death.

However there was something brought up that William could not keep quiet about.

"You split up?" William asked, his disapproval of the action seeping through his words. Grell glanced up at his superior to see slight anger penetrating through his usually stoic mask. "Sutcliff, you know that whenever there is a mission involving children, there is a reason we send two reapers."

"I know," Grell said lowly.

"How could you just leave him to those dangers alone?" William growled. He immediately regretted his method of questioning for the second after he spoke those words tears prickled in the corner of Grell's eyes. William swallowed the rest of his lecture as scolding Grell would most likely interfere with him telling the rest of the story.

From the look in Grell's eyes it was obvious that whatever happened to Ronald he blamed himself. William decided that if the charges against Grell were thrown out he would pardon any formal disciplinary action; merely living with the guilt would be punishment enough.

"I apologize, Sutcliff," William said taking his seat a second time. "Please forgive my harsh reaction."

Grell shook his head. "No, you are correct in yelling at me," he said as a tear slipped past his defenses. Grell immediately wiped it away, pretending he was scratching an itch on his cheek. All that remained was a ghost of displayed emotions. "I knew it was a bad idea, but I chose to listen to Ronnie."

He looked over to the right. There was a crack in the wall much like the one Ronald was tossed up against. He let out a cry that would forever haunt the red reaper's dreams. The image of Ronald being kneed in the throat surfaced. He was the senior shinigami on that mission and he should have put his foot down when Ronald suggested such a foolish action.

"Grell, are you still with me?" William asked, grabbing Grell's wrist.

The smaller shinigami looked up into the eyes of the one who gently touched him. A slight red color covered Grell's cheeks. He pulled from William's hold. He repeatedly told himself that he was undeserving of William's compassion.

"Do you need anything?" William asked.

Grell shook his head. In the century of working under Spears, not once could he recall a time when his boss had treated him so kindly. So often he desired to feel William's affection, but now was not the time for such treatment.

"Can you please continue?" William asked.

Grell took a sip of the water sitting on the desk. Its cold touch on his tongue brought back the memory of the chilly evening. William was not one who let a mystery go unsolved; he was going to keep probing until he heard the entire truth. Grell set the cup back on the table and stared at the beads left along the rim.

"Me and Ronnie split up," Grell said, hating himself with each word of that sentence. "My—my destination was only a few blocks down, so I figured Ronnie wouldn't get into too much trouble. And if he did I was in earshot."

William listened without interrupting, despite the urge to remind Grell of all the cases that involved a reaper getting injured because of those careless mistakes. However, Grell was not one to look at the consequences before leaping into action, unfortunately, neither was Ronald. From what he had heard it was a mistake on both parts. While Grell accepted full responsibility, they both had a part in the decision. William continued to listen, hoping that the cost of the mistake would not be one that was lasting.

_Grell approached his target. The man had been shot by someone he was heavily indebted to. Poor Frank had a gambling problem which led to his untimely death. Grell slashed through the man's chest, revealing the cinematic record. It was unnecessary seeing as how other than drinking and running up a debt that cost him and his family all their finances, there was nothing more he contributed to society. It was too easy of a decision for the grim reaper._

_Grell sent the soul to the shinigami world where Frank would be led to his lasting destination. Grell ran a hand through his hair and sighed out of exhaustion. After all that work he would need a long, relaxing bubble bath and a manicure. Reaping was a thrilling, well-paying job, but in exchange it was incredibly demanding. Oh well, the pros outweighed the cons by a landslide._

_There was not another death scheduled for another twenty minutes. That would give Ronald and himself enough time to grab a cup of coffee a few buildings down. As he thought of Ronald he figured he should return to the scene just in case Ronald was lagging behind._

_As Grell began his way back to where he left the younger shinigami he heard yelling. That scream sounded like Ronald's. Curiosity and panic overtook Grell's body as he picked up speed._

_The scene before him was most horrific. Grell clamped a hand over his mouth and shook his head violently._No, there was no way, it was only three minutes_. He chanted that over and over, it losing truth with each repetition._

_The smaller demon, wearing black pants, a blue jacket, a white vest, and cravat held Ronald down. His long, golden tresses, hung over the shinigami's face. He leaned in to whisper something in the already weeping reaper's ear. Whatever was spoken Grell could not hear, but Ronald shook his head, verbally denying whatever was requested of him._

_The bulkier demon clad in orange grabbed Ronald by his hair and tossed him against the cracked, stone wall, emitting a cry from the shinigami. Ronald grunted and stiffly lifted his head to meet his attackers. The tears had not slowed, but replaced with angry ones._

"_That'll teach you to disobey!" the one who tossed him growled. He leapt up and forced his knee into Ronald's throat. The young shinigami's head collided with the wall once more._

_That was when Grell broke from his state of shock. He gripped his chainsaw and flew at the ones who attacked Ronald. The one who threw Ronald glanced up to see the redhead advancing on him, weapon in hand._

_The demon moved, the blade of the chainsaw barely grazing his knuckles. He landed a kick towards Grell which the reaper easily evaded. The second leg swung toward Grell. He ducked in time then head butted his opponent in the groin. He fell to the ground with a loud howl._

_Just as Grell was about to finish off his first opponent, the blonde jumped behind him. Grell spun around, kicking the advancing demon in the stomach. The attacker was sent flying into the wall only a foot away from Ronald. The younger reaper could only look on in awe as Grell took on the creatures who assaulted him._

_Grell revved up his chainsaw. The first demon he encountered lifted himself to his feet, his eyes narrowed, and his arms ready to crush the new nuisance._

_The demon in orange yelled as he dashed towards Grell. He spread out his arms, licking his lips as the bloody thoughts surrounding the redhead ran through his mind. First he would have a bit of fun with that one, make him suffer a bit._

_The feisty ones were always much more fun in bed, at least when it came to demons and humans, and he wanted to see if the same rule applied to reapers. Besides he had a fondness for redheads. He could already imagining slicing his claws deep into Grell's back while penetrating him from behind. He would pluck each hair from the shinigami's head. He would grind harder into the reaper, while simultaneously shredding his flawless skin. After all red was such a lovely color on that one._

_He reached for Grell. Grell hopped out of the way, barely avoiding being caught in the creature's grasp. His red locks bounced with each leap as the demon sent another round of kicks Grell's way. The hair fell gracefully over his shoulders, sending the attacker into another fit of lust. He licked his lips once more imagining the taste of Grell's flesh. He had to have him: first to love and then to slaughter, and he planned to be equally brutal during both._

_Grell patiently waited for the opportune moment. Then he saw it. The demon reached for him once again. While his strength was superb, the bulkiness of his muscles slowed him. As his arms lifted that was when Grell attacked. The blade of the chainsaw hacked through the enhanced muscle tissue on the creature's lower abdomen. He bellowed in pain as blood showered Grell. It felt like mere raindrops to Grell and the color was much more appealing._

_The flesh flapped as the demon moved, splattering blood along the pavement. Grell growled, even with the injury that would lead to absolute death, there was no way he was going to spare that creep the pain he deserved. He lifted the chainsaw against the creature's lower stomach a second time, expanding the gash, and shoving the blade deeper into the body. The demon screamed and flailed as the death scythe ground up his organs. The blood spurted all over the chainsaw's master. Grell continued to push the weapon deeper until the blades penetrated through the demon's back. The rotating metal appeared, dyed crimson and dripped from each spinning blade like a miniature waterfall._

_Grell stomped his foot into the demon's side and yanked the blade from his burly body. A wave of scarlet cascaded onto the pavement._

"_I've been merciful with you after what you forced Ronald to do," Grell spat. "It's only fair that I make you suffer the same humiliation." With those words Grell lowered the chainsaw to the demon's crotch and began cutting all while the victim screamed in agony. Once the damage had been done and the creature's masculinity destroyed Grell kicked the bleeding demon to the ground. Grell watched as the monster writhed, slowly dying from various wounds that would never heal._

_In seconds a pool of crimson covered the creature's carcass. It would only be a few more before all life vanished from that vile shell rightfully stained with his own blood._

_Grell turned quickly to avoid being pierced by the sword carried by the other demon. The blonde demon had a look of pure contempt on his face. He wanted nothing more than to make the reaper feel what he did to his only friend._

_Grell's chainsaw parried the demon's longsword. Sparks flew from the colliding metal. The demon pushed off on Grell, giving him enough time to gather speed and fly at his opponent a second time. The shinigami flipped out of the way, over his opponent's head, and landed on the ground behind him. The chainsaw continued to spin, every once in a while flinging blood from its previous victim._

_The demon let out a battle cry and sprinted towards Grell. The reaper watched his opponent's every move, and lifted his own weapon in time to defend himself from a frontal assault. The two broke apart and continued to fight. The blonde lost his footing and Grell advanced._

_The demon smirked, catching Grell off guard. He jumped up and stabbed Grell through the shoulder with a shorter sword he had skillfully hidden under his sleeve until the opportune moment to reveal his trump card. Grell fell backwards, dropping his chainsaw. The engine still roared while Grell lie on the ground, bleeding from the wound. The sword fell beside him, clanging as it bounced on the pavement. He gripped at his injured shoulder and reached for his weapon. The demon kicked the chainsaw out of Grell's reach._

"_Pathetic reaper," the demon said, spitting on Grell. "You think you're so smart, I'm glad we took care of two of you tonight." He stepped on Grell's hand, but the red reaper refused to show any signs of pain, not in front of that vermin._

_One glance over at Ronald who watched in amazement while shuddering was enough to fuel Grell. He groped for anything nearby he could use in his defense. His hand came in contact with the sword that had impaled him. He gripped the hilt and swung it towards his attacker, severing three of the demon's fingers. Blood gushed as the digits plummeted to the ground._

_Grell took advantage of the creature's distraction. He jumped up and kicked him in the face. Grell then dashed towards his precious death scythe. The sword proved it was only a regular weapon, otherwise he would have been heading back to the shinigami realm in a casket. The chainsaw, on the other hand, had the ability to end the life of an immortal creature. He ran towards the demon and rammed the blades of the weapon against his neck. The golden hairs fell to the ground along with a liter of red liquid. As with the other demon the blood decorated Grell's clothing._

_The red reaper showed no signs of mercy. He continued to slice and shred the vile creature's body. The blonde demon fell to the ground and stared up at his opponent with fear._

"_Alright! Alright! You win!" he cried. "Please no more!"_

"_No more?" Grell shrieked. "No more?" He stomped on one of the gaping, bleeding wounds. "You dare ask me for no more?" He inserted the stiletto heel into one of the deeper wounds and listened to the agonizing screams. Grell normally did not enjoy the sound of painful yells and pleas, but this time he could not let up. His eyes filled with tears. "When he…" Grell pointed to a shuddering Ronald who was shielding his eyes from the violence. "begged you two to stop, did you?"_

"_Please, I'm sorr—agh!" the demon began. Grell stomped harder onto the bleeding wounds, silencing the creature's pleas._

"_He'll have to live with that pain and humiliation the rest of his life because of trash like you," Grell growled. He lifted his chainsaw once more. "You're getting off lucky." He lowered the weapon towards the demon's hands. "But I won't let you off easy. I'll start with the hands that held him in place while your sick bastard of a friend..."_

_Grell fulfilled his threat, slowly shredding the demon's hands, one at a time. The screams filled the air. Ronald had to clamp his hands over his ears just to block out the majority of the painful shouting. His heart raced as tears flowed freely from his eyes. He only wanted to wake up safe in his bed to find out that the worst night in his existence was a mere nightmare spawned by him overworking himself._

William gaped as Grell paused to take a long swallow of water. All that talking and several times having to stop to keep himself from tearing up, had exhausted the murderer.

"I couldn't—I—no matter," Grell stopped and placed his hands around the body of the cup. He refused to make eye contact with his superior. "No matter how much pain I inflicted upon them…it would never compensate for what they did to Ronald."

"Sutcliff," William said softly. Grell lifted his head, his eyes slightly puffy from trying to hold back tears. William wanted to comfort him, hold him close, to tell him that it was okay to cry. However, it was not quite time for that. "All this was to avenge—protect Knox?"

Grell sneered at the dark-haired man and snapped, "Weren't you listening?"

William grimaced. "Yes, Sutcliff, but I'm trying to get all the facts straight." He gave Grell's hand a squeeze. "I'm on your side." _Just like last time_.

Grell wiped forming tears from beneath the frames of his glasses. "I know that, Will," he said with a sniffle. At that point there was no use trying to hide the fact that his emotions were taking hold. "But I know it's my fault. This whole thing could've been avoided if I just stayed with him."

William wanted to tell him there was nothing he could do and to stop blaming himself, but the logical part of him kept him from doing so. His rational mind refused to let go of the fact that if two reapers were there instead of one, two lower class demons were not as likely to attack. However, it was that one significant factor that held his tongue-not _as_ likely, not meaning that it was unavoidable altogether.

William cleared his throat. "You're doing well, Sutcliff," he said. Grell could tell from the way that was worded that there was more to come. "I still have a few questions."

"Are you heading the investigation now?" Grell asked with a scoff.

"Sutcliff please," William said. His eyes freely showed emotion. It was a difficult night for the entire team. "Now, you've vividly described what you did and partially why." He paused. Grell had avoided telling him what happened and he had a hunch of three or four possible options, but in order to have the charges dropped he needed to hear Grell tell him. "What exactly did they do to Ronald to provoke you to behave _that_ brutally?"

Grell looked away. "I'm sorry, I can't tell you that."

"Sutcliff, please, this is key information and—"

Grell jumped up and yelled, "I said I'm not telling you." He slung his hand across the table, knocking off the cup of water. His shark-like teeth were bared.

"Grell, calm down," William said in a half pleading, half demanding voice.

Grell took a deep breath. He knew it would not help anyone to lose his temper, especially at the person he loved the most. "I can't," he said in a calmer voice.

"Grell," William said.

Grell shook his head, red hairs flying about his frame. "You don't understand," Grell said. "I can't tell you that." He pushed stray strands of hair from his face. "There are some things you just can't tell other people."

William's frown deepened. If there were things that even Grell would not speak of, it had to be bad. The possibilities narrowed even further, but there was no use in assuming things.

"If it will help the trial I will tell the judge alone, but I can't tell anyone else," Grell said. He made direct eye contact with William. "Ronald made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone from our office, especially you." Grell swallowed a sob then added, "And I have to agree with him."

William's eyes slightly widened. He wanted to ask, but Grell made it clear no matter what he said he would not relay that information.

"Then just answer why you can't tell me," William requested.

Grell lowered his gaze away from William. "He works for you," Grell replied. "He doesn't want you to think any less of him." Grell crossed his arms and pulled away from the table. "I won't answer any more questions. You have sufficient data for the investigation."

William sighed. Grell had already helped them enough. He nodded at Norton on the other side of the glass who allowed William to exit.

"I recorded everything," Norton said once William was outside.

"Very well, we might need it if this goes to court," William stated.

"If?" Norton asked.

"There's a key piece of the puzzle missing," William responded. "Those kinds of bruises and injuries aren't caused by a few punches and being tossed into a wall. As you can see with Grell's wound, reapers heal fast."

"I know," Norton said, reminding Spears that he too was a shinigami.

"Grell's still hiding something, something Knox didn't want anyone to know," William said with a sigh. "Will this be enough?"

Norton gave William a sorrowful look. "Right now we only have Sutcliff's side of the story, Mr. Spears," Norton replied. "And he said they attacked Knox. Two-teaming a reaper is a viable excuse to attack in defense, but it still doesn't explain the brutality." He looked William in the eyes. "That's what he will be tried for. I'm afraid just seeing a fellow shinigami being beaten is not a good enough reason to snap the way he did. There has to be more to the story."

"Sutcliff made it certain he was not going to tell anyone, even if it means his own death," William said.

"Unless we can determine how cruel they were to Knox to require those kinds of tortuous deaths, especially with Sutcliff's recent past...it still looks grim for him," Norton said.

"Then I have no choice," William replied. He adjusted his glasses. "I'll have to hear Knox's side of the story."

Norton nodded in agreement. He shakily entered the interrogation room with the handcuffs in his grasp. Grell eyed him and stood, not even bothering to put up a fight. Norton internally thanked anyone who would listen and locked the other shinigami's wrists. The two headed for the door were William waited.

Grell's eyes momentarily landed on his supervisor, then immediately darted away. The night was nowhere near over. William could only hope that Ronald was willing to cooperate as Grell's very life would depend on it.

* * *

><p>There you have chapter three, everybody. I hope it was to your liking.<p>

Until next time!


	4. Three Minute Damage

I do not own Kuroshitsuji.

I apologize for the delay with this chapter. I haven't written anything in a week due to a death in the family on Sunday and then I was sick from Wednesday through Friday. Anyway, better late than never.

**WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!:** Okay, everyone. There is a reason this story is rated M (R, if it was a movie). This chapter is for mature audiences only. This chapter contains extreme graphic violence, blood, extremely disturbing thoughts and images, and implied rape. The latter does not go into too much detail, but the act is pretty obvious. If you are offended or disturbed by any of these then please do not read any further. You have been properly warned.

Artfan: Thanks for the review. You're going to feel really bad for Ronald in this chapter.

Poison1234: Thanks for reviewing. Ronald's story is in this chapter, but it's very sad, I'll go ahead and warn you.

Red Cookies: Thanks for the review. Grell doesn't show mercy in a fight regardless, but I feel if he was protecting someone he loved, he would be even more brutal. I hope you like this chapter.

Ronnie: Thanks for the review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Fleya: Thanks for the review. I hope you like this chapter about Ronald's story. I have a feeling that having to face William would be pretty intimidating (at least I think Will is intimidating). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Sebassy-Chan: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed the Grell fight scenes. He is the most brutal fighter in the Kuroshitsuji world (in my opinion at least), and when motivated he can become even more merciless.

Violoveless: Thanks for the review. I hope you like this chapter.

A few notes:

1) There is a slight William/Grell subplot here, but it's not the focus of the story. If you're interested in Grelliam romance I have three other stories devoted solely to that. Not to mention there are at least twenty other Grelliam stories on this site alone. But I digress...

2) Eric and Alan do make an appearance in this chapter. I wasn't too sure about using them, but while writing I came up with a reason for them to help further the plot. This is the first time I've written them, so please tell me if they are written horribly and I can fix it.

3) Once again, this chapter is intended for mature audiences.

4) William might be a tad bit OOC at the end of this chapter. Hopefully not too much though. :/ However, I couldn't make him too cold after hearing Ronald's story without making him seem heartless, so hopefully it's not too bad. If it is awful, please let me know.

5) Seeing as how much Ronald respects Grell, I feel he would refer to him the way he wants to be, so to avoid any confusion, anytime in this story that Ronald is referring to Grell he will by using female pronouns (ex: "she" and "her").

On with the story!

* * *

><p>Norton led Grell to a holding cell within the low-security prison. Norton carefully unlocked the metal handcuffs. William had to admit to himself that in the several brief fantasies (which were never spoken aloud) he had of Grell's wrists locked in said device he never imagined him looking so livid.<p>

The redhead glared at the timid investigator before turning his back on both him and William. The door was shut and quickly locked. Norton stepped back, somewhat still opposed to his decision to release Grell's shackles.

William watched with a heavy heart as the door was locked. Norton explained that it was only a precaution and once Grell's story was at least verified he would be released until the court date. That was all depending, of course, if Ronald was willing to talk.

The dispatch supervisor walked up to the cage against the Norton's warnings. He clamped his gloved fingers about the slim, steel bars. He could feel their frigid surface temperature through the leather gloves.

"Sutcliff," William said catching the attention of the reaper within the cell.

Grell took a long look at him then turned back around, both hands on his hips. William sighed. That was not the first time he had spoken to his subordinate from the outside of a jail cell. Only this time he was more than certain of Grell's innocence.

"Listen to me, Sutcliff," William said, not sure if his words were getting through Grell's thick skull. "I know you're not happy with me right now." He received what sounded like a scoff from the other man. At least Grell was not ignoring his words. "Trust me. I'm doing everything I can for you."

Grell sent his boss a glare that made the great Spears nearly tremble. If that was the way he stared at those demons before dismembering them, then he could actually feel a smidgeon of pity for them.

William looked over at Norton and asked, "Is this really necessary?"

"It's only a precaution," Norton said shakily.

William sighed with a nod. That reaction caused Grell to turn sharply from him. William tried calling to the smaller shinigami again, but Grell pretended to be more interested in his nails that had suffered imperfections from the battle. He sat down on the cold cot inside the cell while his yellow-green eyes stared out the barred window.

The head shinigami from the dispatch sighed yet again. He spoke a quick farewell to Grell without any reply then turned.

"Did you confiscate the chainsaw?" William asked when the two were out of earshot from Grell.

"Of—of course," Norton cried. "You don't think we'd let him roam around with that thing while under suspicion of murder. Even if he's tightly locked away." With a nervous smile Norton shook his head. "No, I don't even want to think of how stupid that would be."

Over his shoulder Grell watched the two of them leave. He brought his legs upon the cot. He leaned back with his arms under his head. It was a given that he would receive no sleep that night. Everytime he closed his eyes Ronald's screams echoed through his brain.

"I'm sorry," Grell said as a tear slipped. The clear bead broke into a splash as it hit the red rims of the shinigami's glasses. He turned over on his side and silently wept. "I'm so sorry, Ronnie."

* * *

><p>William and Detective Norton stepped into the shinigami hospital. After having witnessed three of his reapers confined to that place, and one passing in said building, William hoped to never see another under his command being forced into one of those beds with medication dripping into their bodies.<p>

The two stopped at the receptionist's desk. A woman with bright, blue eyes and heavy eyeliner stared up at the two. It was obvious that she needed a pay raise and a few days off.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" she asked.

William stepped forward. In his usual cold demeanor he said, "My subordinate, Ronald Knox, was admitted here earlier. I hear he is taking visitors now."

The receptionist checked the files. She nodded then said, "Yes, he's been awake now for a good twenty minutes. I'll page a nurse to take you back." She picked up the phone and pressed a button. A few words were passed between the two before the black phone was placed back on the receiver. She looked up at the dark-haired shinigami. "She'll be right out."

"Thank you," William said then stepped away with Norton by his side.

A few moments passed before a slim woman in a nurse's woman stepped through the door. "Friends of Ronald Knox, I presume?" she asked. William confirmed her statement. "Please follow me," she said waving for them to take her lead. Her short, brunette curls bounced as she walked. "The physical injuries are almost near healed."

The two stopped outside of Ronald's room. The memories of having to travel those hallways when visiting another injured reaper surfaced in William's mind. Four times Alan had been checked into the hospital due to his chronic illness. Then there was that time Eric had to have two of his fingers stitched back on following a battle with a high-class demon. It was a surprise to all that two severed limbs and a punctured lung was the extent of damage he suffered from such a bloody fight.

Then of course there was the tragedy of Hawthorne. William knew from the moment he heard what happened that Hawthorne was fated to never leave that hospital bed alive. They buried him a few days later when the extent of the injuries finally stole him.

The others rarely spoke of him, it was only when Ronald Knox first joined the team did he have curiosities of who he replaced. There was a long, awkward silence which caused the new shinigami to blush in embarrassment. Later, while on a mission, Grell explained to him why they never spoke of Hawthrone's untimely demise in the office and why it was a taboo to mention the ones who had passed while on duty.

The nurse turned to face the two with a stern look. "Physically he will heal fine," she said. The look in her eyes clued the two in that there was more. "I'm afraid whatever happened has mentally traumatized him and he will require some counseling over the next few months at least."

"Has he said anything about what happened?" Norton asked.

The nurse shook her head. "Not to me or the doctor, I'm afraid."

William sighed. He hoped that he could get his subordinate to confide in him. However, going off what Grell said earlier that was not going to be an easy feat.

Norton placed a heavy hand on William's shoulder. The latter stared at the former permitting Norton to speak. "Maybe you should talk to him alone."

William nodded. If what happened was as bad as Grell informed them, Ronald might be more comfortable with less people in the room. Still Grell's confession that Ronald desired his boss to never find out what happened gave him little hope that the youngest reaper in his office would talk.

William stepped through the door to see Alan gently speaking with Ronald. Eric was off to the side. He looked up to see his boss entering. He nodded at William then placed his hand on Alan's shoulder. With a toss of his head he silently told the smaller shinigami that they needed to take their leave.

Alan nodded to Eric then returned his attention to Ronald. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

Ronald blinked as though he was coming out of a trance. He offered his concerned colleague a weak smile and a nod. Alan looked down at his feet then over to Eric. In that moment both knew what the other was thinking.

_Five years prior while out a reaping mission a group of fifteen demons ambushed the two. They fought off as best as they could, but Alan's health had not quite recovered after his last attack. Eric suggested that Alan not go on active work in the field until he was feeling up to par, but Alan was tired of being treated like an invalid._

_Five of the demons grabbed Alan and pinned him down. His death scythe was tossed aside and a large fist met with his face. The ugliest of the bunch ripped off Alan's clothes as the others laughed while the small reaper writhed in their grip. Later he discovered heavy bruising from how tight they held him. _

_Most of the lower class demons enjoyed raping and humiliating the reapers just to feel slight power of the higher creatures for a moment. It was a prohibited act on both sides, and if a demon (or shinigami) raped (or attempted rape on) one of the other species then by law the victim, or one acting on his/her behalf, could end the life of the offender. _

_The instant Eric realized what those creeps were doing to his beloved something in him snapped. He slashed through of all those who stood in his way then hacked the ones who dared to touch Alan. Blood littered the tarmac (however it was only a tenth of the gore fest that was Sutcliff's handiwork). It was not until all the demons were dead that Eric's adrenaline subsided and he returned to his normal self. _

_He wrapped his arms around the shaking, naked torso of his lover. Eric kissed every inch of Alan's face while refusing to release his hold on him. He gently rocked the smaller shinigami until the shivers ceased. _

_Fortunately, in their case, there were two witnesses to the act who willingly testified in Eric's defense. The charges were thrown out before a trial could even start. For Alan's privacy and the sanity of both, no one ever spoke of that night._

"Just let me know if you need anything," Alan said. He reached out his hand to give Ronald a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but the slight recoil from the blond ceased the brunette's touch.

Ronald nodded, but chose not to speak.

"Has he said anything?" William asked Eric, having witnessed the exchange.

Eric shook his head. "Very little," he replied. "Maybe you'll have better luck."

Alan stood and lightly bowed his head before William. Eric allowed Alan to exit first then followed soundlessly after.

William made sure there were no others in the room then shut the door. The action caused Ronald to jerk and shrink further against the wall. The blond pulled his knees up to his chin which made it even more obvious that his entire body was shaking. The shuddering increased with every advance of the older shinigami.

William suddenly stopped upon hearing Ronald whimper. He sighed and pulled up a chair if only to leave some space between the two.

"Knox, I'm glad to hear your physical injuries are healing well," William began. The words did little to offer the younger reaper any comfort.

William sighed; he was the head shinigami of his office, all problems were reported to him. It was no secret that William T. Spears was the epitome of a control freak. Everything always had to be in order and done by the book: his way, or no way. Now, when one of his men was in desperate need of comfort and another was facing a possible death penalty, he was left hoping there was vital information that could spare the both of them. Never before had William felt so helpless.

He crossed one leg over the other then adjusted his glasses. It was a nervous tic, some even attributed it to his OCD.

One look at Knox and anyone could tell he was not in any mood to speak. However, unfortunate for him, there was no time for silence and secrets. William wanted nothing more than to console his employee, but until the cause of the tremors were established, there could be no healing.

The absent look in Ronald's eyes clued the other man in that the scene continued to replay in his mind. Every once in a while Ronald would release a whimper that resembled a suffering puppy. Whatever he had seen, whatever those creeps did was bound to haunt him for decades, perhaps even centuries. William made a mental note to request to the doctor that Ronald seek mandatory counseling following his release from the hospital.

"Knox, will you please look at me?" William asked. Ronald glanced up then immediately returned his gaze to the floor. William sighed, he could already tell it was going to be a long night. The head shinigami knew how everyone in the dispatch felt about him, so there was no sense in feigning compassion. "I need you to tell me what happened," he said.

Ronald slightly shifted. He opened his mouth then shut it, then opened it once more as if he was internally deliberating just how much he should share.

"Knox," William said a bit too harshly.

Ronald winced at the amount of force behind that single word: his name. It was now a name he despised. With every breath within the last two hours he felt the need to vomit for his own filthy existence. Without making eye contact he shook his head.

William irately sighed. Despite the fact he cared for his subordinates and wanted nothing more than for Ronald to heal, he knew that time was a lifelong enemy.

"Please, not today," Ronald said in a shaky voice.

William adjusted his glasses. It was common sense that demanding the truth out of one in such a fragile state was a horrible idea. He decided to go with a different strategy. "Ronald," he said, the name sounding foreign on his tongue. As with Grell, the use of the first name seemed to calm the one being addressed. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened."

Ronald leaned his chin over his arms that were tightly gripping his knees. "Can't you ask Grell?" he asked. Merely speaking the red reaper's name brought back flashbacks. The images of Grell shredding up his attackers played like a silent movie behind his eyes. If he closed his lids the memories were more vivid, but the longer he kept them open, the more he was tempted to cry.

"I tried that," William said slightly leaning forward. "He shared the graphic details of the murders."

"Then that should be enough," Ronald mumbled into his forearm.

William sighed. "I'm afraid not," he said. "Ronald, look at me."

Ronald began a second attempt at making eye contact with his boss. The instant his eyes met with the cold ones belonging to the older shinigami, he immediately averted his gaze.

"Why won't you look at me?" William asked. That calm, yet intimidating voice sent chills down Ronald's back. While William had never struck him (as he had with Grell on several occasions), or given him any logical reason to fear him, the truth remained that Ronald was just as afraid of being alone in a room with his boss as he was the evil creatures that sought him out for the sole purpose of harm. Everytime he was asked to stay after for a few words, private conference, or to turn in paperwork he shook from the moment he stood on the outside of Spears' door until whatever required his presence had been completed.

Instead of a verbal answer Ronald replied with only a shrug. William inhaled sharply. He was losing his patience, but if he desired any words from Ronald he had to keep his peace a little longer. Ronald feared those cold eyes scrutinizing him, judging him. Even without making eye contact he could feel those eyes hacking him into smaller pieces that resembled the worthless scum those demons reduced him to.

"Knox," William said in a softer voice. Ronald sensed that his boss was attempting to show sympathy. The kinder voice relaxed him, if only a bit. "You can tell me what happened." He paused for a few seconds to see the younger man still resisting. He then added in a compassionate voice, "Whatever happened, I won't think any less of you as a reaper…or a person."

Those words were what was needed to break Ronald from the metaphoric cocoon. He glanced up at William to see that rare display of kindness on his face. He stretched out his legs then leaned over them, still finding it difficult to look his boss in the eyes.

"Me and Grell…" Ronald began. He stopped and wrapped his arms tighter about himself. "We—no…me—it was my fault."

"Please, don't start with the blaming," William said harsher than he intended. "I've already heard enough of that from Sutcliff." He heard a muffled whimper then collected himself. "Just tell me what happened."

"Why?" Ronald snapped. He finally found the courage to look William in the eyes. "Why can't you just go by what Miss Grell said?" He wiped away falling tears. "Don't you get it?" Ronald turned his head as another stream of tears poured. "I just want to forget the worst night of my life!" In a weaker voice he added, "Is that too much to ask?"

Usually William would allow no one to speak to him in that manner. But this one time he could forgive it.

William debated whether or not he should use the next tactic. It was low, but someone he cared for's life depended on it.

"Sutcliff kept his promise," William stated. Ronald looked up at him, trying to understand why William was sharing irrelevant information. "Even though he claimed he was protecting you, without any witnesses, and…because of the Jack the Ripper incident…he can still be found guilty." William stared darkly into Ronald's eyes. He suppressed the urge to shake the smaller reaper. "He'll be locked away for a very long time, if he's lucky. If not the judge will have him executed."

Ronald gasped with wide eyes. There were a few moments of silence between the two in which neither person moved. Ronald suddenly blinked and lowered his gaze to his toes.

"They can't," the blond said in an almost inaudible voice. "He was just protecting me."

"Knox—Ronald," William corrected himself. He waited until he had the other shinigami's undivided attention before continuing. "I know it's hard…" William remembered the details from Grell's story. Having to witness their partner tear apart another in that manner would be traumatizing for anyone.

Still there was an obvious reason that Grell went to those lengths to send a message to the rest of the demon population. Something happened that enraged him to the point of snapping. William knew Grell, and his influence was a deciding factor in Grell's fate last time, but it would not be enough for this trial. Though William was certain that Grell's reasons were sound, he was going to need absolute proof—proof that only Ronald could provide

"Okay," Ronald said. He swallowed collected saliva then took a deep breath. Just as he was about to speak the flashbacks hit him. He placed his face in his hands hoping to block out their faces. All that remained behind his eyes were the bloodstained carcasses with faces contorted into masks of pure horror. Ronald stole a glimpse at his boss then continued. "I know that Miss Grell doesn't like taking the souls of children. She wants to be a mother so bad. I—I—I just wanted to protect her feelings this one time."

William held his breath. While the dispatch encouraged camaraderie among the teams there was a reason they preferred to keep the relations professional. It was the reason that William kept his distance from Grell despite how his heart pounded everytime he set eyes upon the eccentric redhead. Even friendships (as in Grell and Ronald's case) were dangerous.

"Me and Grell parted," Ronald said. The tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. Yet it was his determination not to appear weaker than he felt in front of his boss.

_Ronald smiled as Grell disappeared from view. He knew the risks of entering a territory with dying children. He knew how evil creatures, namely demons, desired the freshly deceased souls of young humans. Still he felt it was silly to have to keep depending on Grell when he was perfectly capable of handling a simple task. _

_He knew that William felt that he was still a rookie, so he planned to use that moment to show his boss and everyone else in their office that he was more than competent at taking care of a double reaping. Besides, he hated to see that pained look on the senior shinigami's face when he had to remove a child's soul from his body. Twice he caught Grell wiping a tear from beneath his glasses after having to steal the soul of a little one (though he would never admit to it). _

_Ronald turned on the lawnmower and with a heavy heart slashed into the first dead child. Unfortunately for him and his brother they were too young to have accomplished much in life. Had Ronald the ultimate decision he would have spared everyone under the age of twenty from an early demise, but alas he was merely a reaper._

_The death scythe was turned off and the two young souls rested in his palms. From what he gathered they were kind children and would be sent to a peaceful realm where there would be no more suffering. _

"_You'll have nothing to worry about anymore," Ronald said in a calming voice as he began the transferring process._

"_Well, well, well, what have we here?" said a scratchy voice from behind him._

_Ronald spun around, keeping a tighter hold on the souls. There staring back at him were two men. One of them looked way too large to be a human despite the fact he wore the skin of one. The other appeared to be a normal gentleman walking about London streets late at night. However there was a sinister stare in their eyes accompanied by a devilish smirk on their mouths._

"_I told you patience would reward us," the smaller man said in a much gentler voice than the other. "We just had to wait for the pretty, little reaper to release their souls."_

_The larger man licked his lips. The young shinigami gasped at the sight of a purple tongue. It was at that moment Ronald realized how much danger he was in. In hindsight he knew he should have called for Grell right then and there, but the situation kept him from thinking rationally. _

_His heart raced in his throat. Other than his occasional run in with Sebastian Michaelis, Ronald had never come face to face with a demon before. Thus far he had been lucky for the dark demon butler had no reason to cause him harm, but those two standing before him had the darkest intentions in mind. _

"_So tasty," the larger creature said in that gruff voice._

_His friend smirked and asked, "The souls or the reaper?"_

_The one dressed in orange, in a style that stood out from the latest English fashions laughed. He replied, "I think the souls for dinner…" his stare fixed on Ronald, "Then the yummy reaper for dessert."_

_Ronald stood in place. Sweat began to pour from his forehead and palms. He swallowed and stepped back. The obvious signs of fear caused the demons to laugh._

"_Not as pretty as his redheaded friend, but he'll do," the one in orange stated. _

_Those words sent chills down Ronald's back; they had been watching him since before he and Grell parted. They were just waiting for the chance to make their move and his stupid decision handed them that opportunity._

_The giant growled and the three horns protruded from his enormous forehead along with the black claws from his fingertips. He yelled as he charged towards the blond._

_Ronald snapped back to reality. He quickly retreated giving him some space from the demon. He barely missed being grabbed by the enemy. Ronald swiftly kicked the blond demon in the shin before making a hasty retreat from the house. He stood beneath the moonlight, hoping and praying that Grell had finished his assignment. If anyone could take them down the red reaper was the one._

_The clatter from behind caught Ronald's attention. He sharply turned to see the pair slowly making their way towards him. The shinigami could tell they were only toying with him for extra fear. Grell once told him that demons enjoyed the taste of fright—whether or not that rumor was true he did not know and at the moment he did not want to test the theory._

_Ronald had only one choice. He quickly transferred the souls to the shinigami realm before the demons could charge him a second time._

_Seeing the spirits of the deceased children vanish forever the two stopped. Ronald could only hope that the loss of a meal would lead them to depart…he was sadly mistaken._

Ronald began to hyperventilate.

"Knox! Knox, stay with me," William said as he moved towards the smaller reaper. He placed a firm hand down on Ronald's shoulder in hopes of calming him.

At the mere touch he flailed, nearly smacking his supervisor in the face. William caught Ronald's wrist and held tight enough to control any further movements, but not enough to inflict any pain upon the young blond.

"Take a deep breath," William instructed, his free hand still clamped down on Ronald's shoulder. He repeated the order once more, his chest unclenching at the sight of Ronald following along. "Again," William stated in his usual stoic manner.

That routine was repeated until Ronald resumed normal breathing. William gently lowered Ronald's arm back down to the bed. He released and watched as Ronald's fingers hung limply over the edge. He stared out into a void ahead.

"Ronald," William said causing the mentioned to flinch at the sound of his putrid name.

He slowly lifted his head and blinked twice, staring into the eyes of his boss. The young reaper coiled into himself. He noticed he had been crying and wiped away the fallen tears.

"Do you need anything?" William asked.

After a long pause Ronald asked in an almost inaudible voice, "Please, can we continue this another time?"

"As much as I would like to, we don't have time for that," William replied. "Do you need a few minutes?"

Ronald shook his head. Seeing as how there was no way for him to get out of testifying, he figured it was better not to delay any longer.

"I sent the souls here and—and they weren't happy about it," Ronald continued. He could still clearly see the rage displayed in the eyes of the larger demon. It was a sight that no amount of medication could erase from his memory.

"_You're going to pay for that, you little shit!" the giant creature snarled pointing a bumpy finger at him._

_Ronald stood his ground and reached out his hand. His eyes widened as he realized that in haste he left his death scythe in the house. The only way to retrieve said item was to pass the two creatures who desired his blood. It appeared that running was his only option. It was what Grell instructed him to do if things turned ugly._

_Ronald swallowed the fear and dashed off in the direction that Grell headed. Before he could make it three feet the smaller demon appeared in front of him and kneed him in the stomach. Ronald let out a squeal resembling an injured puppy. He landed on his back and elbow, skinning the latter. Ronald cringed as he looked up to see the approaching monsters. He tried to lift himself only for the giant demon to grab him by the front of his shirt. The massive fist painfully collided with the left side of Knox's ribcage. He then landed a hard punch to Ronald's lip. The skin cracked as the demon released his hold on the reaper._

_Ronald plummeted to the ground. He slightly whimpered then looked up to see the two approaching him. The smaller demon grasped his arms and tugged them at painful angles, listening to the splendid melody of Ronald's cries. He tilted Ronald's hand over the other. The agonizing screams only gave the demons a reason to laugh. The one who had a hold on him pushed his wrist further in a direction it was not intended to bend until he heard the bone snap._

"_He sure can yell," the one in blue laughed. Ronald tried to ignore the shrill, staccato sound of that creature's laugh, but it resounded in his ears. _

"_A beautiful sound!" the one in orange screamed as he sent a fist into Ronald's stomach. _

_The shinigami gasped and a wad of spit dripped down his chin. His head lulled forward while the pain throbbed through his abdomen. The demon showed no signs of letting up any time soon. He sent another fist into the reaper's belly. The action was repeated three more times until Ronald could take no more._

"_Please, please stop!" Knox cried._

_The blond nuzzled his head against Ronald's hair. "Do you hear him, Lon, he wants us to stop?" His piercing ice blue eyes met with Lon's red ones. "Do you think he's learned his lesson?"_

_Lon licked his lips. "I don't think so, Roe," he said with a cackle. He gripped Ronald's chin and lifted it so that their eyes were meeting. "You reapers get on my nerves." The blood from the busted lip covered Lon's fingers._

_Ronald struggled in Lon's grip and turned his face away. Lon glared down at the writhing reaper._

"_I think he needs a little more to show him who's boss," Lon said. He smirked with a cackle as his hands lowered to his own waistband. "Hold him good and tight, Roe," the larger demon ordered. _

_Lon unbuttoned his pants while Roe pushed Ronald down on his knees, keeping a firm hold on the shinigami's arms. Lon grabbed Ronald's hair and jerked his head up._

"_Open your mouth, reaper," he ordered._

_Through blurred vision Ronald could clearly see what the demon wanted him to do. Ronald's green eyes met with the sadistic ones belonging to the burly creature._

_Ronald frantically shook his head. With pleading eyes he begged, "Please, no, no, don't. Please." Tears began to pour down his cheek. "Please," he cried louder._

"_Oh, you'll be begging me soon, but for the opposite," Lon said as he gripped Ronald's face again. He roughly caressed Ronald's damp cheeks and laughed. "You're gonna love it, you naughty whore, you. Now be a good little reaper and open your mouth." Ronald shook his head. Lon grabbed Ronald's hair and forced him to look forward. "Look, you little bitch, you better do what I say, or I'll kill you and your little redheaded friend." With those words he slapped Ronald sharply across the face._

_Roe leaned forward and added while laughing, "He'll make that pretty red one scream while pounding him. He'll make him bleed so bad." Roe licked the side of Ronald's face, tasting the salty tears._

_At that moment Ronald wanted to die. He struggled harder hoping that the two would grow tired of his resisting and kill him. Roe bit into the tender flesh on the side of Ronald's neck making im hiss. Roe inserted his snakelike fangs deeper into the pale skin. Two streams of scarlet trickled down his neck and pooled along the collar and right sleeve of his shirt. Roe licked away the red beads lining his lips. _

"_That's just a taste of what I'll do to you," Roe whispered harshly. "I won't be nearly as gentle with your friend and neither will he." He nodded in Lon's direction._

"_I won't tell you again," Lon added. His clawed finger sliced a small segment of the outer layer of skin along Ronald's collarbone, shredding the cloth. "You wanna live you better put your mouth to good work."_

_Their threats left him with no other choice._

_The demons laughed as Ronald finally submitted to their wishes. Lon shoved himself into Ronald's throat, laughing at how the shinigami gagged and sobbed. The whole time Roe whispered terms such as "whore" and "slut" in Ronald's ears. Ronald tried to push his conscious mind far from reality. _

_He wondered where Grell was and why his superior had yet to come to his rescue. The only reason remained that the blaring noise from the cinematic record deafened Sutcliff to Ronald's cries. The tears leaked like twin waterfalls while Ronald's brain reminded him over and over that the separation was his own fault. He sent Grell away. Then came the worst thought of all—because he made the foolish error, he deserved the harsh punishment._

_Finally Lon granted him mercy. Whether or not it was from boredom, or because he had something worse planned, Ronald could not say, he was only relieved that the torment had temporarily stopped. Ronald shook in Roe's clutches. He shuddered, feeling so putrid and disgusting inside. The bitter taste remained in his mouth, one that he could never rinse away. He wanted to implode. Maybe one of them would be gracious enough to bash him upside the head. Amnesia would be too wonderful of a blessing._

_Roe leaned forward and his long hairs draped over Ronald's shuddering form. Ronald closed his eyes, praying that those creatures would just go away already. They already robbed him of so much, what more could they want from him. _

"_It's my turn," Roe whispered. Ronald tensed at the hot breath against his ear. "I won't be as gentle as my friend." His icy hand caressed the center of Ronald's back all the way down. Roe grabbed Ronald's bottom and squeezed. The demon then licked the back of Ronald's neck. "Don't worry, I'll be doing all the work this time."_

_Ronald shook his head while struggling. "No, no! I'm not! No, please let me go! Please, you've already done enough!" He knew good and well what Roe was insinuating. The tears flowed harder. He writhed in the demon's hold. Even if his life was a casualty, he wanted nothing more than to be free of them. _

_Lon stepped forward and with a growl seized Ronald by his golden hairs. Ronald cried out as Lon gripped the locks tighter to cause as much pain as possible. With all his strength he tossed Ronald hard against a stone wall._

"_That'll teach you to disobey!" Lon snarled. He then jumped forward and shoved his knee into Ronald's throat, causing the back of his head to smash against the wall once more. Ronald wept as the final thoughts of doom surrounded him._

_That was when his rescuer made his arrival. Ronald opened his eyes to see Grell battle the two demons. There was no glory, nor any showing off, all he could see was an older sister doing her best to protect her baby brother. All that was visible in Grell's eyes was a sister who could only be satisfied with severe bloodshed of her brother's attackers._

"Miss Grell killed them," Ronald shakily stated. There was no sense for either one to admit the understatement there. "I—I had to stop watching," he confessed. "It—it was too—too much." Ronald brought his knees closer to his body. The tears increased. He sobbed into his arms which were supported by his bent legs.

While he suspected the possibility, the news was hard for William to hear. It was not the first time demons double-teamed a reaper to humiliate them, in fact it was the second occurrence within his own office, and the main reason for that law to be instated.

William clenched his fists. What little pity he once held for the remains of those monsters evaporated. If he had been in Grell's place he would have likely done the same, giving William yet another reason to loathe those creatures.

He caught Ronald's stare and gave him that rare look of pity. The head shinigami could never comprehend the amount of pain Ronald suffered in addition to the extra of having to relay that story to someone he respected. Not to mention how many more times he would have to tell that story and the various nightmares that would follow. Ronald would require serious counseling and possibly medication in order to merely sleep.

"Don't look at me like that," Ronald said. William was taken back from the sudden comment. Ronald averted his eyes once more.

"What are you—" William began.

For the first time in decades, someone interrupted him. Without making eye contact Ronald replied, "That look of pity. And judgment. I don't want it." A fresh batch of tears replaced the dried ones. "I know it was a bad decision." He sniffled then added, "I've already paid for it."

William felt an intense stinging in his heart. He suddenly stood catching the attention of his underling.

"Knox, look at me." He placed a hand on both of Ronald's shoulders, nearly causing the younger shinigami to shriek. Ronald looked up at him with fearful eyes.

Despite the uncontrollable shuddering William refused to release his grip on the smaller male's arms. It would be a long time before he felt comfortable being touched by another of his own sex. William made a mental note to pass the news to Grell when he was released from his cage.

William's stoic glare remained, but his voice contained a rare passion. "You didn't deserve what happened. Don't go blaming yourself for something you had no control over." Even though in the back of his mind William housed the thought that if the two stayed together the horrible event never would have occurred, he knew that it was unfair to blame them for the demons' deeds. William released his hold on Ronald and adjusted his glasses before resuming his normal calm voice. He added, "The only ones who are at fault are dead."

Ronald swallowed a forming sob, though the tears flowed down his flushed cheeks. He slowly wiped them away, hating to see his own weakness displayed on his fingers for the world to see.

"You know," Ronald said in a voice that was barely audible. "Miss Grell came over to me after she—well you saw what she did." William only nodded in response. Ronald sniffled then continued, "I begged her not to tell anyone." _Especially you_, Ronald added in his head.

For the second time that night William found himself speechless.

Ronald wiped away another stream of hot tears. His pleading eyes met with the ones belonging to his superior. "Please, Mr. Spears, please, don't tell anyone."

William sighed. "I can't make that promise, Knox," he said.

Though Ronald knew that was the case it still pierced his heart to have to hear those words. Those same fears he housed while the demons violated and humiliated him resurfaced. He felt so disgusting, so worthless, so weak. Even with them dead he could still feel Roe's filthy hands all over him and the memory of that rancid taste would never be forgotten.

Ronald knew the next morning would come with talk. He could already hear the murmurs and laughs of those who caught wind of the distorted version of the incident. His colleagues would never look at him the same way again. Those thirty years of hard work were tossed away. No one would ever come to respect him now.

"Knox," William said breaking the blond from his thoughts. Their eyes met, though that glimmer that defined the youngest member of the dispatch had vanished. William knew it might be years, decades, or even centuries before it returned, if it ever returned. The heavy burden on the supervisor's heart begged to be relieved. William spoke, "You're not weak, Knox."

The scoff full of hatred for himself told William how much Ronald disagreed. "If only I had fought harder."

"They could've killed you," William countered. "You were outnumbered and they threatened you and someone you cared for. You were protecting his life as much as your own."

"But obviously Grell could've taken them," Ronald argued.

"_You_ didn't know that," William retorted. "_You_ did_ not_ do anything wrong."

Usually William would have left without bothering with the comforting words, but even he could not leave the shinigami only thirty years out of the academy full of such misery and disenchantment. As much as he had hoped to avoid it, William had become close to his team, perhaps too much for comfort.

"I have some things to tend to," William said heading to the door. He stopped just before leaving and turned towards the blond once more. Seconds before his exit William added, "You did well, Knox. It took a lot of courage to tell me."

William stepped outside to see Norton standing there with a hand over his mouth.

"I take it you heard," the dark-haired shinigami said.

The investigator nodded, still stunned. "I can't believe it," he said in a low voice. "He's so young."

"It happens too much for my liking," William replied as he walked in quick strides with Norton at his feet. "I'm glad that law was put in place so that people like Sutcliff can eliminate refuse like them."

The two walked silently for the remainder of their journey. Back in the hospital room a shuddering Ronald cried himself to sleep.

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><p>That wraps up chapter four. There will be one more chapter to this story.<p>

A few closing notes:

1) I know it seemed longer, but the incident was all supposed to happen within the span of three to four minutes.

2) For the purposes of this story, the cinematic record makes a lot of noise. It's the only plausable reason I could come up with for Grell not to hear Ronald's cries.

3) Eh. I know William is rather OOC there at the end, but I couldn't just leave Ronald there to suffer alone after what he went through. Hopefully it doesn't come off as too OOC. If it does, please let me know.

Thank you to everyone who read this chapter. The last one will be up soon.

Until next time!


	5. Healing

I apologize to everyone who is reading this story. I meant to have this chapter up on Saturday and it is now Thursday. Hopefully you can all forgive me for the delay. :(

Even as this story comes to a close, I don't own Kuroshitsuji.

No real warnings for this chapter other than a bit of horror and lots of fluffiness.

Just a note: the relationship between Grell and Ronald in this story is strictly friendship/brotherly. I feel that Grell is combatable with pretty much everyone, except Ronald. I don't know why, but I just can't see them together. There is some minor Grelliam in this chapter.

Red Cookies: Thanks for your review. I'm glad you liked the story and didn't think William was too OOC. I hope you like this last chapter.

Poison1234: Thanks for reviewing. Sorry I made you sad, but maybe it's a good thing since it was meant to be a sad chapter. :P I hope you like this chapter.

Artfan: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and hope you like this one too.

Fleya: Thanks for reviewing. Thanks, I am feeling better and thanks for sending your sympathies. I'm glad you liked my writing of Eric and Alan, I was worried that I wouldn't get them right. And thanks for the compliment on my fear of William's OOCness. I hope you like the new chapter.

Madame Grell: Thanks for your compliment, I feel all warm inside. I hope you like this chapter.

Without further ado, on with the final chapter!

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><p>Ronald stirred slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps. The familiar clacking of heels calmed him, for he could always pinpoint that noise. Ronald managed a small smile for he had hoped to see Grell upon waking.<p>

The blond turned over on his side, slightly wincing at the protest from his aching ribs. There standing in the doorway were the outlines of two figures. Ronald sat up, ready to greet his friends. His smile slowly faded as he realized that neither of them moved closer, they stood in the shadows of the doorway. Ronald's heart raced in his throat at the realization that their silhouettes did not match those belonging to his superiors. He sunk against the wall.

"Don't be like that, pretty reaper," the distinguishable voice spoke.

Ronald gasped as he tried to call for help to no avail. The only sound he managed was a squeak as his words ceased in his larynx.

"We weren't finished, were we, little whore?" the scratchy voice taunted.

"No, no, no," Ronald whimpered. His back hit the wall as he frantically shook his head. "No, you can't—you're dead."

"Don't be so sure," the other voice said.

Ronald tried to move only to discover that his hands were trapped against the wall. He glanced up and nearly screamed at the sight of his wrists shackled by iron cuffs against the wall. The giant figure crept onto his bed as Ronald struggled against his restraints. He went to scream again, but was silenced when the demon's bloody hand clamped itself over his mouth.

Lon leaned forward, the horns nearly scratching Ronald's forehead. The reaper could smell that musty stench radiating from the demon's pores along with the rancid breath as Lon exhaled on him. "There's no one to save your worthless hide this time." He laughed then exclaimed, "I'm going to take my sweet, sweet time with you. And I'm going to make it as painful as possible."

"No! Leave me alone!" Ronald shouted as he thrashed about in the sheets. His eyes opened wide and he stared wide at the hospital walls, not aware of reality.

The nurse rushed to his side. "Knox! Knox, listen to me," she cried in a panicked voice. Ronald continued to writhe and jerk. She turned back to her colleague. "Get me a sedative, quick!" she yelled before turning her attention back on the screaming reaper. She placed a hand on both of his wrists while whispering soothing shushes to him. "You're okay, Knox," she said. "You'll be fine."

The other nurse hurried over with the requested medication. A third nurse held Ronald's body down as more pressure was added to his wrists by the first nurse. The needle was inserted into Ronald's arm and the liquid quickly administered. The three released the flailing shinigami and backed away as the medicine began to take effect.

"No," Ronald said softer. "No, please." His voice became fainter with each passing second until he slumped into the first nurse's arms. She continued to lull him with kind words as he fell into a dreamless slumber.

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><p>The sound of the lock being released stirred the redhead from his light snooze. He jumped up and stared ahead at the ones responsible for the sudden sounds. He squinted to see the blurred outlines of his supervisor standing alongside the shinigami who locked him up a mere two hours ago.<p>

Grell stood and smoothed the wrinkles from his clothing. There was a red handprint on his face from where he had been lying. He adjusted the beads on his glasses and pushed the frames up on his nose to clear out the blurred vision before him.

"William?" Grell asked.

The mentioned adjusted his glasses, his trademark stoic expression upon his face. No words were exchanged between the two, but from what Grell could gather of the somewhat pained look in the other man's eyes he could tell his boss knew more about the night's events than what he revealed those two hours before.

Norton opened the barred door and offered a weak smile to the redhead. "All the paperwork's been filled out. You're free to go, Mr. Sutcliff," he said in an almost inaudible voice. As Grell exited the cell, Norton moved further behind the door as if to protect himself from a possible retaliation.

Grell offered the detective no passing glance as he looked squarely at the dark-haired man who so often occupied his thoughts.

Grell's nose wrinkled displaying his lack of understanding. After a few moments of silence the red reaper spoke up. "How?" he asked. "How did you find out? The only witnesses are dead."

There came no verbal reply. The tension in the room nearly suffocated the three. For a second Grell wondered if perchance one of them had survived, but the lack of response quickly eliminated that theory. It was then that everything clicked for the shinigami.

"What did he tell you?" Grell asked, not bothering to hide the anger in his voice.

William held eye contact with his subordinate. "He told me everything you failed to," William responded with no emotion. "The charges against you have been dropped."

Grell sucked his lip and broke eye contact with his superior. A glare replaced what had once been surprise. William felt that Grell would react the news in said manner, but inside he knew that he had done the right thing.

"You couldn't leave it alone?" Grell hissed.

"I wasn't going to let my best reaper die because he's too stubborn to—" William began.

Grell's scoff cut him off. "That was Ronald's secret," he snarled. "You had no right to force it out of him!"

William's eyes narrowed. "Sutcliff," he said in a warning tone, pausing for further effect. His features and voice softened as he continued, "When I told him what could possibly happen to you if I didn't get his side of the story he willingly told me."

Grell frowned, his glare losing only a bit of its intensity.

William continued, "You protected him tonight. It was his turn to protect you."

Grell's anger transformed into sympathy. "Then you know why I couldn't tell you," he said sadly.

William nodded. "Don't fret, Sutcliff," he said in that rare display of compassion. "No one will ever need to speak of these events again."

"There will be talk and questions," Grell said. "What do you plan on telling everyone?"

William answered, "The simple facts that two demons attempted to interfere with a reaping mission and were killed out of self-defense." William adjusted his glasses once more then added, "It's the truth and will satisfy everyone's curiosities." The stoic man turned his attention to Norton, "I trust that you will keep the details of tonight's events from leaking."

"I'll do my best," Norton replied.

Grell glowered at the man which made him shrink further into himself. "You'll do better than that," the redhead threatened through his shark teeth.

Norton quickly nodded, not daring to say anything else to the red reaper.

William felt that he should have verbally reprimanded Sutcliff for his actions, but was too tired to begin a potential argument with the other. It had been a tiring night for the whole team and would most likely take at least a week for everything to begin to return to normal.

"May I see him?" Grell asked at last.

"I don't know if that's a good—a good id—" Norton stammered. A swift glare from Grell instantly silenced the detective.

"If he's still awake," William answered. He placed a hand on Grell's shoulder and led him away from Norton. The detective let out a sigh of relief as the red reaper disappeared from his view.

The two walked in silence down the dimly lit hallway, with the exception of Grell's stiletto heels clacking along the tiles. It took two minutes for William to realize that he was still holding onto Grell's shoulder. With a slight blush he removed his hand, clenching his fist as it dangled by his side.

Grell had been waiting so long to feel William's touch, but at the moment he was too distracted by various thoughts racing through his mind to even notice. The instance the hand left Grell glanced over at the abandoned shoulder with the feeling that only the ghost of a warm touch remained.

The silly thoughts vanished from the redhead's mind as the image of Ronald being forced to perform fellatio on that most disgusting of lower creatures surfaced. Grell grasped his forehead with a gloved hand and inhaled sharply with shut eyes, hoping to push those vile memories from his mind.

"Everything alright?" William asked, noticing that his companion had halted in his tracks.

Grell glanced up at the slightly older shinigami. "Yes," he answered, pushing forward. "It's nothing."

William could tell from Grell's harsh way of spitting out his words that there was more to the story than he was willing to reveal. He simply allowed the smaller shinigami to keep his secrets for the time being.

The willingness to keep his distance until Grell was ready to talk did not bar him from speaking his mind. "Grell," William said breaking the other from his thoughts. Grell turned slowly, the shiny hairs spinning about his body. William pushed his glasses up his face then crossed his arms in front of himself. "If you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm here."

Grell offered William a sincere smile. "Thanks," he said softly. "I'm glad to hear that."

With the air cleared the two continued their walk towards the hospital. Just as they were nearing the room William placed a hand on Grell's shoulder to stop him.

"Sutcliff," he said, his eyes showing all seriousness again. "It would be best if you granted Knox his personal space for a while. He's not responding well to physical contact."

Grell allowed for the words to sink in before nodding. He was never good at keeping his hands to himself, but for Ronald's peace of mind he was willing to cooperate this one time.

* * *

><p>At the sight of blood on the approaching shinigami's shirt everyone in the waiting room assumed Grell had met with a nasty fate. However it was the fierce look in his eyes that warned everyone to move aside.<p>

When Grell returned from the mission he refused to allow anyone to look him over. The absence of pain in Grell's face assured William that the wound he acquired in battle had already begun (if not completely) healing.

The receptionist called out to the redhead who merely walked by without passing her a glance. William quickly apologized on his subordinate's behalf, but was not given much time to await her reply as the last thing he wanted was to lose sight of Sutcliff.

Norton made the mistake of revealing Ronald's room number to the feminine reaper. Nothing, not even threats of overtime or termination, could slow Grell's strides.

Fortune shined on William as Ronald's doctor turned the corner inches before they reached the room. He waved at the two realizing them to be in Ronald's department. William grabbed hold of Grell's shirt and pulled him back before he could barge into the room.

"Visiting hours are over," he said, holding the clipboard against his chest.

Grell scoffed. "I don't give a damn about your policy," he said much to William's embarrassment.

"Forgive my underling," William said, sending a glare to the redhead. He resumed his attention on the doctor. "They've both been through enough tonight, so if he could just have a few minutes with him."

The doctor gaped at the bloodstained clothing that snugly formed to Grell's figure. "You were the one who was there when it happened?" he asked short of breath.

Grell's eyes narrowed causing the doctor to slightly jump. "If you know what I did to those demons, then you know what I'll do to you if you don't let me see Ronnie," Grell threatened.

The doctor bit his lip. "I would really like to, but…" he trailed off leaving both full of concern. William nodded, giving the professional permission to continue. "The nurses had to sedate him about a half hour ago."

"What for?" William asked.

"Severe nightmares," the doctor replied. "If you like, you may follow me and I'll let you know everything that's happened in the last two hours."

"Are you allowed to do that?" Grell asked.

The doctor nodded. "Yes," he answered. "In his medical paperwork, Ronald Knox listed the two of you as emergency contacts and the only ones he gave consent to know the details of any…incidents." Grell snarled at the doctor's choice of words.

"Please," William said, adjusting his glasses.

"This way," he said, gesturing with his hand. William followed directly behind the doctor with Grell in tow.

Suddenly the redhead stopped and glanced back towards Ronald's room. He stared back after William and muttered an apology to his boss before slipping away. He pushed the door open and entered. With the door securely shut behind him Grell glanced over at the sleeping blond. His heart broke to see his little brother in such a fragile state.

Grell slumped down in the chair next to the bed. He watched Ronald's chest slowly rise and fall. It gave the older reaper a bit of comfort to know that Ronald was getting some rest, a least for now. The black-framed spectacles were folded and placed on the table beside the bed.

Grell reached out and grabbed the pale hand that was draped over the bed. Both of Grell's large hands clamped over Ronald's smaller one. His palm was cold to the touch.

"I'm sorry," Grell whispered into Ronald's hand. There was no response from the sleeping blond.

Grell gently placed Ronald's hand across his abdomen. The night's events replayed through his mind. It was a night that neither would soon forget, yet ironically the one moment their hearts prayed to erase.

"Blaming yourself won't help anyone," said a voice from the doorway. Grell need not turn around, for he had grown accustomed to that voice in the past hundred years. William shut the door and with crossed arms moved behind the chair. It was not surprising to Grell that William soon discovered his absence.

Grell stared down at the floor. Without having to see the other's eyes William knew the expression on the red reaper's face. It was the same sorrowful look he had in his eyes when he began to feel true remorse for what he did to Angelina and the others.

The shinigami clad in black stripped of his jacket. He handed it to the skinnier one. "Come, it won't do any good for him to wake and see you like this," William said.

Grell gingerly accepted the jacket and folded it over the chair. He unbuttoned the soiled shirt and tossed it into the wastebasket. The action was not surprising to William, as back when they were in the academy, Grell had no qualms about undressing in front of him. There were several scars from previous battles, and the near healed wound on the smaller shinigami's arm would leave a splotch of discoloration, if only to serve as a cruel reminder of the night's events.

Spears' jacket was used to cover Grell's tiny frame. For the third time that night he was experiencing firsts with William he could only wish would have happened on happier occasions. Grell fastened each button. The garment was still warm and William's scent remained. The cloth was baggy on his form, but it would do.

Grell tugged on the jacket and stood, turning sharply to face the stoic shinigami. At this point there was little sense in trying to mask his emotions.

"If I had only gotten there sooner," Grell confessed at last. He broke eye contact with William and his gaze fell back on Ronald. "How can he move on after something like this?" Grell turned back around and for the first time in his life his supervisor did not have the answer.

"Our kind has survived this for millennia," William replied.

Grell snarled, "Don't give me facts and case studies!" He stopped a sob before it exposed itself through that outburst. In a calmer voice he added, "Ronald isn't just another number in the stats. He's a living being with feelings and…" Grell trailed off as a single tear slipped past the defenses. Grell sniffled, hating himself for shedding tears in front of William. He hugged his arms around himself and said, "You didn't see how frightened he looked when they…what they did. He had lost all hope, so powerless." The tears welled in Grell's eyes, not even bother to threaten the lids keeping them in place. The dam broke allowing for the river to flow freely. "I could see it in his eyes. He was wondering where his partner was, why I didn't come to save him."

William wanted to interrupt, but knew it would only interfere with the healing process if he added his two cents before they were welcome. With Grell it was best to just let him rant his feelings for as long as need be.

Grell choked on a sob then swiftly rushed towards his supervisor. His arms wrapped tightly about William's torso and Grell rested his forehead against William's chest. Warm droplets soaked through the stoic shinigami's shirt. After a moment of surprise William allowed himself to return the embrace. Grell snuggled closer towards the warmth and continued to shower his closest friend with tears.

The two stood in silence for nearly ten minutes, only the sounds of sobs and sniffles filling the room. Once all the tears were spilled Grell lifted his head, the soft hairs tickling William's chin. William reached into his pocket and provided a handkerchief for the other. Grell nodded his thanks and dabbed at what remained of the bleeding mascara.

"Keep it," William said, pushing Grell's hand away when he tried to return the soiled cloth. Grell glanced down, his fingers wrapping around the black wad of fabric.

"I'm staying until he wakes," Grell said after a moment of silence. The look in his eyes showed that he was willing to fight to the death if anyone so much as tried to argue with him.

William nodded in reply. "Very well," he said. "Given the circumstances, I doubt anyone will force you to do the opposite." He headed towards the door and suddenly stopped. With a last glance towards the redhead he said, "I'm always here for you, Sutcliff."

"Thank you," Grell replied. "For everything."

William nodded then left.

Grell spun around. He resumed his spot in the chair beside Ronald's bed. A few minutes passed without any incident leaving Grell to wonder if he made the correct decision.

Suddenly Ronald's breathing appeared to be more labored than earlier. Grell noticed a slight twitch in his eyes. Ronald jerked sharply towards the left. His lips parted and he released a small whimper. Grell reached over and gently shook him to no avail.

Ronald gasped and jerked harshly once more. Grell stared wide-eyed, hating that William had not stayed a bit longer; the level-headed reaper would probably be more useful in such a situation.

There was no time to linger on what they lacked. Grell tightened his grip on Ronald's shoulders and shook him with more force, immediately afraid that he might have reinjured one of Knox's wounds. Ronald's head jerked and his eyes flew open. He tried to scream and gasp for air at the same time which sent him into a fit of coughs. Grell helped him onto his side and patted his back until he regained the proper use of his lungs.

Ronald fell limply against the bed, loudly sobbing. Grell ran a hand through Ronald's two-toned locks while speaking soft shushes to him. The action seemed to calm the younger reaper which gave Grell the incentive to continue until the sobs turned into sniffles.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here," Grell cooed, still gently petting Ronald's hair.

The smaller shinigami turned over to face the other. He squinted and made out the slender figure with that infamous red draping over his frame. "Gr—Grell?" Ronald asked weakly.

"Yes, I'm here," Grell said.

He handed Ronald his glasses who promptly put them on. Glad to be relieved of the temporary blindness Ronald offered a meek thanks to his supervisor.

"Am I awake?" Ronald asked.

Grell could tell by the stammer in the young reaper's words that he had suffered a rough time since his arrival in the hospital. Grell was only a witness to the crime and could only imagine what Ronald was feeling.

Grell merely nodded in response to Ronald's question.

"Were you released?" Ronald asked.

"Hush, don't worry about that," Grell said sitting down on the edge of Ronald's bed. "And yes."

Ronald moved closer to Grell and cuddled into the redhead's welcoming embrace. Grell rubbed his hand up and down Ronald's arm while his other hand gently massaged Ronald's scalp. Ronald nuzzled deeper into the hug. He had avoided physical contact from all others, but there was something so inviting and warm about Grell.

The two sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity with Ronald receiving physical comfort from Grell. As long as his big sister was there to protect him he need not worry about the nightmares.

"I keep seeing their faces each time I close my eyes," Ronald said, breaking the silence.

Grell began rubbing circles on the smaller man's back. Ronald adjusted in Grell's grasp so that he could see the older reaper's eyes.

"Do you know of any way to forget?" Ronald asked. His pleading eyes broke Grell's heart.

Grell merely tightened his hold on Ronald. He wanted nothing more than to tell him that time would heal the wounds, but in that case he was not sure. However, he wondered if a lie was worth the temporary comfort.

"I didn't think so," Ronald said lowly. He averted his gaze from Grell. "I should've just given them the souls, or called for help, but no I had to be brave." He broke from Grell's hold, slightly surprising the red reaper. "I was so stupid for thinking I could take them on when I haven't even taken proper defense classes." Ronald chided himself for not accepting Grell's offer to teach him combat training a year ago. "I was just asking for them to—"

"Whoa! Hold on!" Grell said gripping Ronald's arms tightly. "Don't you say another word!" The eyes previously full of sympathy now displayed anger. "This isn't your fault. They took advantage of a rookie shinigami. Don't you dare say that this is your fault anymore. There was no way you could've known." Grell paused, allowing the wave of fury to pass. With another beat he added, "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner."

Ronald placed his hands atop of Grell's. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "If it wasn't for you that other one would've done something much worse." Ronald visibly cringed at the memory of what Roe threatened to do. "You saved my life."

Grell wanted to argue further, but his body was too exhausted. He wanted to promise Ronald that he would not blame himself any longer, but that was one he could not keep. It would take an equally long time for the red reaper to forgive himself, but to know that Ronald already forgave him for something he was not at fault for was enough to comfort him for the time being.

"Hey, Grell," Ronald said, snuggling into Grell's embrace once more.

"Hmm?" Grell asked.

"When I'm released tomorrow, do you think it would be too much for me to stay at your house for a while?" he asked. He looked up and added, "Just until the nightmares stop."

Grell nodded. "It's no problem," he said, stroking Ronald's hair.

Grell made a vow to himself that he would keep a closer eye on Ronald for the remainder of their days. It was something that any sister would be willing to do for her younger brother. Together they would make it through the storm and find a brighter day. It was a relief for both to know they would not have to suffer alone.

* * *

><p>The end. I hope you all enjoyed the ending to this story. I might do a sequel to it sometime in the future, but as of now it's a big maybe. I don't want to beat this storyline into the ground, so it's just a pending option right now.<p>

Thank you to everyone who read and especially to my reviewers. You guys are awesome.

Just a side note in relation to the story. This is something I learned while interning at a violence prevention organization in college. If anyone you love or know is raped, sexually assaulted, or the victim of a violent relationship the number one thing to know is that you must never blame the victim. No one deserves that kind of treatment, no matter what. They are already feeling fragile and powerless enough and blaming (saying things like, "If you weren't drinking," "If you didn't wear that," "You know what kind of people frequent there," etc) will only lead to further guilt, self-loathing, and feeling that he/she deserved it.

Also, don't seek revenge. That will just put more stress on the victim who has already been through a violent ordeal. It should be the victim's decision on what he/she wants to do about it. This is just something I thought I'd share with everyone. If you are interested in further information, you can check out the Rape Crisis Center website along with other sites that give information on what to do if someone close to you has been assaulted.

Have a wonderful day, everybody. Thanks again for reading.


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